Marriott signs deal for Kuwait long-stay hotel

Marriott International said on Saturday it had signed a long term agreement with Family United General to manage the Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City. The 143-room property scheduled is to open in 2015, the hotel group said in a statement. The Kuwait hotel is the company's third Residence Inn by Marriott for extended stay travellers in the GCC. It is part of Marriott's aggressive growth plans for the region, which will see its Middle East and Africa portfolio total 43 by 2017 - 21 of which will be in the GCC. "We are thrilled by the robust expansion of our regional hotel portfolio," said Alex Kyriakides, president and managing director of Marriott International Middle East and Africa. "The region remains a key market for tourism development because of its oil wealth, high disposable income, demographic growth and proven resilience to crisis." He added: "This indicates further growth potential for the hotel industry, and with this new hotel signing and more to come in 2012, Marriott International will be perfectly placed to accommodate the increasing number of visitors to the region with our network of seven diverse lodging brands." The Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City will offer 143 studios, one, and two-bedroom suites. Designed for stays of five nights or more, each suite will include a fully functional kitchen and separate living area, flat screen TV and Marriott's highly acclaimed bed and bath linens. The property will also include a self-service lounge, casual restaurant and a meeting room. A "grab and go" kiosk/market offering snacks, basic food items, newspapers, magazines and various sundries will be also located next to the front desk. "Our first Residence Inn by Marriott in Bahrain has been extremely well received and our second property within the brand is on track to open in Jizan, Saudi Arabia later this year. We are delighted to have reached this agreement to take the brand into our third Gulf country, Kuwait," added Kyriakides.